NDA firms up Bihar action plan

Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah, who had to cancel a trip to Mysuru on Sunday as the talks stalled over Mr. Manjhis demands for a certain number of seats, said the BJP would contest from 160 of the 243 seats, while the LJP would put up candidates in 40 and the RLSP in 23 seats. The HAM would get 20 seats and 4-5 members of Mr. Manjhis party would fight on the BJP symbol. We have arrived at this arrangement after talks with all parties, Mr. Shah said.

All the leaders were present at the press conference held to announce the seat allocation, but murmurs within the LJP and the RLSP were hard to quell. Sources in both parties said they had to give up a couple of seats each (the RLSP had originally been allotted 25 seats and the LJP 43) to accommodate Mr. Manjhi. On Wednesday, when Ram Vilasji had a meeting with Ananth Kumarji (BJP co-prabhari or in charge for the State), he was told to accommodate Mr. Manjhi, said a source.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Mr. Kushwaha, and thereafter he wrote to Mr. Amit Shah, agreeing to accept any arrangement arrived at by the BJP.